10 breweries that are still making beer, centuries later: Weihenstephan

10 breweries that are still making beer, centuries later

Weihenstephan Brewery, Germany

In the year 1040, the head monk at the Weihenstephan Monastery obtained a license from the local authorities to brew beer. Today, just a few decades shy of its 1000th birthday, the brewery at Weihenstephan is still in operation.

In the early 18th century, the monastery was closed but the brewery continued to thrive under private ownership, creating quality beers under Bavaria's famously strict purity law. Eventually, Weihenstephan was named the official Bavarian state brewery. Today, the brewery offers tours of the facilities where it produces a dozen quality beers, including an original variety that is made with the same ingredients that have been used for almost 1,000 years.